What’s a VMware add-on?

               VMware came up with a new concept named as "add-on" which is a collection of components. An add-on is not a bootable image on its own, instead it’s a collection of independent components which can be applied to a base bootable ESXi image. Refer to ESXi Base Images and Vendor Add-Ons section at Managing Host and Cluster Lifecycle document.

Components are the new naming convention replacing the term "Offline bundles" often used in vSphere 6.x branches. The components are nothing but a collection of one or more VIBs like Offline bundles. This can contain async drivers and other software packages that can be grouped as single offline package customized for a family of servers. Refer to VIBs, Bulletins, Components section at Managing Host and Cluster Lifecycle document.

DellEMC Add-on

DellEMC released an add-on published at VMware vSphere 7.0 GA. The first version of DellEMC add-on can be obtained at VMware download page as well as Dell support page . DellEMC will have regular cadence of add-on releases along with their customized ISO and zip file releases. Refer to "Locating DellEMC Add-on" section. Components are enhanced bulletins which includes new metadata fields for the VIBs incorporated. These fields are meant to be consumed by vSphere Life Cycle Manager(vLCM).

Locating DellEMC Add-on

DellEMC add-on are made available as part of the VMware online depot which is accessible from vSphere Life Cycle Manager. It’s also hosted at Dell support as well as VMware download pages as indicated above. These download locations get refreshed periodically when there are newer releases made available to the public.

NOTE:

• Refer to VMware vSphere ESXi 7.x on Dell EMC PowerEdge Systems Image Customization Information guide for more details on the add-ons integrated in DellEMC customized images. This is located at DellEMC | VMware documentation page.

• When you use the DellEMC customized 7.0 images, the relevant add-ons are already integrated as part of it. The add-ons are separately made available if you intend to convert a VMware native image to a specific DellEMC image revision.

• You may make use of esxcli add-on namespace "esxcli software addon get" to fetch the details of the add-on integrated in DellEMC customized image.

Applying Add-on on a native VMware ESXi

               Add-on can be installed to a host using vSphere Lifecycle Manager. Refer to the vLCM update guide for more details

References

Managing Host and Cluster Lifecycle

VMware ESXi 7.x Documentation